Democratizing Evaluation: Transitioning Community Leaders from Participants to Practitioners of Inclusive Evaluation

Abstract Information: New and diverse voices are essential to the vitality of the evolving field of evaluation. In a unique initiative set in Houston, leaders from a network of 68 local organizations embarked on a two-year journey to enhance their evaluation capacity with support from Pivot Data Design, Houston Endowment, and Houston in Action. This evaluation capacity strengthening project, centered on these leaders as emerging evaluators, sought to democratize data and evaluation beyond traditional boundaries. Embodying a multifaceted approach to professional development, including coaching, asynchronous online courses, peer mentoring, workshops, and networking events, the “Harnessing the Power of Data” program was crafted to uplift civic engagement leaders as emerging evaluators of their own work. These components are educational tools as well as vehicles for transformation, encouraging participants to wield evaluation as a force for change by determining what data is collected, its alignment with their voter engagement strategies, and how it informs and refines their approaches.

Evaluation capacity strengthening is key in nurturing emerging evaluators, providing them with skills, knowledge, and confidence to evolve into evaluation practitioners who can make meaningful contributions to the field. This evaluation capacity strengthening project showcased the power of co-creation, bringing together philanthropy, evaluation facilitators, and community-based organizations to forge a program that not only enhances data literacy but also integrates it into the fabric of strategic decision-making and community storytelling. By positioning nonprofit leaders as emerging evaluators, the program tackles the dual tasks of enhancing evaluation skills and addressing the systemic exclusion of underrepresented voices in the evaluation discourse.

Participants in this panel will hear directly from those who lived this transformation. Contributing to the conference's dialogue on fostering an inclusive environment where all voices are valued and heard, we will share how prioritizing diverse perspectives and mentoring new evaluators, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, can radically transform the landscape of evaluation to be more reflective of the communities we aim to serve. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how such partnerships can create a fertile ground for innovation, leading to more relevant, effective, and sustainable evaluation practices that reflect the complexities and nuances of community work. This session promises to share a model of success and to inspire action and commitment among evaluators to amplify voices that have been historically marginalized, thereby shaping a future for evaluation that is as diverse as it is dynamic.